The last-ditch attempts to get you a holiday proposal

I'm Sarah - wife to my amazing husband, John, and mom to two little girls, Cami and Maisie. I used to work in the finance industry before having my daughters, and now I'm a freelance personal finance writer and blogger. I love being wi...

Will you marry me?

I always dreamed of a holiday proposal, but now that I’m married (and got engaged in the spring), that’s a dream I’ll never fulfill. It’s not too late for you, though. Check out these last-ditch attempts to get you a holiday proposal!

My best friend’s mom was certain her now-husband was going to propose on Christmas Day. They had been dating a few years, talked about marriage and their future numerous times, and he even said she was getting something ‘shiny’ for Christmas. To any hopeful romantic (or woman!), that screams ‘engagement ring,’ but for my friend’s mom, it turned out to be a brand new pair of shiny… scissors. Yes, scissors (for scrapbooking). Though beautiful in their own way, talk about a major disappointment come Christmas Day. Don’t end up like my friend’s mom — here’s how to get that holiday proposal you’ve always dreamed of.

1

Be realistic

OK — before we get started, we need to be realistic. Have you been dating for a while? Have you discussed the future? Do you know you want to marry this man? Has getting married ever been brought up in conversation? If so, read on…

2

Give him a hint

Men need hints. I repeat: Men need hints. This is where I went wrong in my own courtship. My now-husband knew I wanted to get married, but I never mentioned to him that it was a dream of mine to get engaged over the holidays. I guess I thought he would have known that based on my obsession with all things Christmas, but turns out, I was wrong. One more time — and this time say it with me — Men. Need. Hints.

3

Don’t pressure him

If men feel pressured to do something, they normally don’t want to do it (aren’t we all like that?). The last thing you want is for your man to propose to you because you pressured him into it or gave him an ultimatum. This is where we ladies have to be sneaky. How do you drop big hints without putting pressure on your man? Well, for one, you can plan a romantic vacation for the two of you. Though he may not propose on the trip, spending quality time with you and seeing you in a romantic setting may get him thinking about popping the question (let’s hope).

4

Mention the ring

Before getting engaged, your man needs to know the type of ring you have in mind. That being said, if you do indeed want to get engaged, you need to be realistic about the type of ring your man can afford. Sure, we all want that $20K ring from Tiffany & Co., but for most guys, that’s not realistic. By wanting (or demanding) a pricey ring, you’re putting tons of pressure on your guy to save up, work overtime or even take on a second job, all while postponing your proposal. Remember, you want to marry him, not the ring. Let him know you’re happy with whatever he chooses and don’t want him going into debt or slaving over his job in the meantime (plus, you can always upgrade later!).